The defect
THE MANUAL LOCK RELEASE LEVER ON THE SPLIT-BACK BENCH ASSEMBLIES MAY HAVE BEEN BENT DURING ASSEMBLY. THIS BENT CONDITION COULD PREVENT THE INERTIA SEAT LOCK ASSEMBLY FROM FUNCTIONING AUTOMATICALLY. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT SEAT BACK MAY NOT LOCK IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION IF THE CAR IS MOVING FORWARD AND BROUGHT TO AN ABRUPT STOP.
The remedy
THE DEALER WILL REPOSITION THE MANUAL RELEASE LEVER IF FOUND NECESSARY, IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE ANY INTERFERENCE ON THE INERTIA LOCK PENDULUM.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|
Components: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
Other seats recalls in 1978
5 of the 272 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1978 concerned the seats; CHRYSLER CORPORATION filed 640 campaigns in all.
| 78V257000 1 Dec 1978 | CHRYSLER CORPORATION |
| 78V180000 16 Aug 1978 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 78V117000 1 Jun 1978 | SHELLER-GLOBE CORPORATION |
| 78V115000 24 May 1978 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1978